Saving a Dragon's Heart
by Star Angel7169
Summary: Maybe he should have turned right at the fork in the road instead of left. What happens when Natsu wasn't found by Makarov and instead by someone else, someone who has a grudge against Fairy Tail. I'm sure he would never go against the guild, would he? Or is his true nature yet to be seen? Please give my fanfiction a chance! I hope you like it!
1. Prologue- Sneaking through Magnolia

Rated T for language and because I'm paranoid.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Nor do I own the cover image.

_Happens before Tenrou. Everything went the same in Fairy Tail without Natsu._

Prologue

The darkness seemed to move and swirl together as a menacing figure emerged from the blackness of the building's shadow as the tall clock in the middle of the town finished ringing midnight. His muscular stature covered by a midnight grey cloak as he shifted slowly but sinisterly away from the small building as he headed towards his unknown destination. A dangerous aura emitted off of him as he abruptly picked up his pace, little more than a blur as he dashed through the night; shadow to shadow. A white, scaly cloth revealed itself under the cloak as the person ran on. He could barely be seen as he jumped gracefully to the top of a house, never losing his stride as he ran from rooftop to rooftop with his cloak dancing behind him. Metallic silver and blood red gleam in the moonlight each time the dawn-like cloth rustles at certain angles. Suddenly, as if glued in place, the man stops and scans the area suspiciously with his seemingly dull, charcoal eyes. He breaks free from the house as he soars to the ground below, his hood slipping from his head as he lands to reveal bright yet dull spiky, pink hair sticking out in all directions in a carefree way. A faint, fiery light discharges off of the smooth, spiky hair as the man rakes his finger nonchalantly through the pink mess. The figure's striking, tanned face would be expressionless if not for one thing. His eyes shined in the faint light as their true color could be seen. Unique, dark grey-green orbs with dragon-like pupils, filled with knowledge beyond many people's years, glared like daggers as the dark figure walked towards the large and brightly illuminated building. The mysterious individual's right hand instinctively reached down to hold his glimmering silver katana with a ruby-eyed dragon circling the handle warningly. The figure reached up to his hood and pulled it over his hair, shadowing his eyes, as he unsheathed his weapon, ready to attack the target inside of the rowdy building with a sparkling white emblem of a tailed fairy guarding the entrance.


	2. Chapter 1- The Beginning

**Chapter 1**

Fairy Tail, the most powerful guild in Fiore, had many allies... _and many enemies._ All of its members (maybe even the idiots who had borderline intelligence) knew this to be true, but you can't always keep your guard up, can you.

It was a beautiful, almost perfect night as the moonlight reflected off of each stone on the pathway leading to the guild hall of Fairy Tail. The stars sparkled against the silhouette of night as the nocturnal animals in the forest created the harmonies and melodies of midnight's song, when the clock strikes twelve. The Fairy Tail guild hall's noisy ruckus rang out through the night, drowning out the clock's attempts of warning everyone of the midnight hour.

The guild hall was filled with the smells of alcohol, smoke, and sweets. Many sounds of laughing, coughing, roaring, shouting, and of course crashing, smashing, and breaking could be heard. The guild hall was now a complete mess. And it all started with a certain ice brained idiot... (*cough* Gray *cough*)

Gray had gotten into a stupid and heated argument with Elfman over which one of their magics was more _'manlier'_. The argument had erupted into an angry battle that eventually involved almost the whole guild, even Erza after someone had unceremoniously knocked her poor, defenseless strawberry cake onto the wooden floor. Master Makarov just sat on his perch at the bar, watching chaos ensue in the building as chairs, drinks, food, magic, and even tables went flying in every direction. Mirajane stood next to him, behind the bar, as she polished a beer glass and observed the ongoing fight with a thoughtful look on her face. "It looks like they're at it again, Master," she says, not taking her big, sapphire eyes off the battlefield. "I suppose they are," Makarov sighed, before taking another sip of his beer, "I just hope they keep the damage at a minimum this time."

"I'm not sure that's crossing any of their minds right now," Lucy says, sweat dropping at the damaged dishes, silverware, and furniture scattered across the room. "Agh," Makarov wailed. He looked like he was ready to cry. "Don't worry Master, I'm sure they'll finish soon," Mira reassures as she sets her glass on the counter and looks down at Makarov. "I hope," he mopes.

That's when he froze, eyes wide as plates, alarm clear in them. "Master!?" Lucy and Mira exclaim in worry, catching the attention of a few of the guild members close by. "What's wrong old man?" Gray asked urgently. "Master, are you alright," Erza asked sternly her voice laced with worry. "Someone's coming," Makarov answers, narrowing his eyes.

As if on cue, the door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang, pausing all movement in the guild as they stared at the cloaked figure in shock. In his right hand a skinny, silver sword tinted with blood red pointed straight out, its beautiful dragon design snaked around the black hilt, red ruby eyes glaring into your soul. The katana's name was printed on the bottom of the hilt; Aka Yami, meaning Red Darkness.

"Hey," a yell rang through the guild hall and all eyes turned to who the voice belonged to, Gray. "What do you think you're doing barging into our guild hall like that!" he continued.

To everyone's utter shock, the intruder's face remained dull and expressionless. His charcoal eyes never wavered as he spoke in a demanding, almost robotic, voice, "I have come here for your guild master, Makarov Dreyar. If he turns himself over peacefully I will leave the rest of you unharmed, if not... I cannot promise you your safety."

"Like hell we'll let you take Master," a random person yelled.

"Yeah!"

"Leave our guild!"

"Who do you think you are?!"

The guild hall was soon in an uproar as many angry shouts and retaliations merged confusingly together as everyone objected against the invader's 'crazy' idea until...

"Enough!" Everyone immediately ceased their rants and turned to their master, stunned. "I shall accept your terms," Makarov began, "But only if you can defeat me, Damian."

The cloaked figure's face contorted into an amused expression as he released an evil chuckle to himself. "You always were a quick one Makarov," he said tilting his head and giving an almost caring smile, "But you don't have the guts to hurt me. Never have, never will."

"We'll see about that Damian," Makarov said as he raised his hand and extended it outwards as it grew immensely in size and shoved Damian out of the guild hall and at least 20 feet from the guild door.

Damian landed swiftly on his feet as he readied his katana in his right hand, ready to attack. Makarov stepped out of the guild hall and started to grow in size until he was even taller than the building itself. He stood as his eyes gleamed red and his shadowed face showed an angry scowl. Suddenly, Makarov charged forward and slung a giant fist at his much smaller opponent. Damian effortlessly dodged as he leapt onto Makarov's arm and started running towards his face, slashing a small gash in his cheek when he got close enough and landing silently on the ground. Makarov turned around quickly and they both continued to battle at a remarkable speed, brightly glowing flames flashing by every few seconds. Finally after a few minutes of nonstop, high-speed battle they both skid apart, fighting stances ready.

"You can't expect to defeat me with that little toothpick of a sword that you've acquired Damian," Makarov says, "Give up! You can't beat one of the 10 wizard saints as a measly child."

This seemed to upset Damian as he practically shrieked, "Child? Child?! I am not a child you bedraggled, old fool! Can a _child_ do this?!" Damian furiously yanked Aka Yami to his right, cutting his left wrist in the process, and held it out with both hands. He angrily squeezed his eyes shut as a great magic power rose within him and erupted into the sword, setting the katana ablaze with smoldering, red flames. When Damian reopened his eyes they seemed duller and tired looking but also held a new, blazing redness of fire.

Everyone in the guild hall had gathered at the doorway, to watch the fight, silent as they watched the scene unfold. Gajeel and Wendy looked at each other, exchanging glances.

Makarov seemed slightly surprised to say the least as he felt the mass amount of magic energy emitting from the sword. He glared at Damian. "Idiot," he shouted, "Can't you see how strenuous that is for a child's body!?"

Damian only smirked albeit tiredly at Fairy Tail's guild master before charging straight towards him, the flames almost blinding as he yelled, "Flame Sword Art: Dragon's Heart!"

**Aka Yami swung towards Makarov as the guild master put his hands up into a defensive cross as if he were going to block it. "Aaaagggghhhh," Damian shouted in determination as a huge fire exploded into the air, showing the form of a dragon roaring until it started to slowly kneel down as the flames were finally gone and the outcome was clear as the smoke dissipated...haha cliffhanger! Yeah, so I already have the next chapter ready but I'd like to wait to see if anyone views my story. Please review and let me know your opinion on it and please no flames, just helpful criticism. Thank you for reading this fanfic so far and I'll do my best to update soon! Sayonara~! -Star**


	3. Chapter 2- The Meeting

**Chapter 2**

...the outcome was clear as the smoke dissipated. Makarov had won.

Sprawled across the ground, in front of Makarov, was Damian. He wasn't moving, but you could see the steady rising and falling of his chest in his unconscious state. Makarov stood above him, glaring, until he slowly bent down and picked up the smaller wizard with a great amount of gentleness. He carried the fire mage over to the guild and set him down, in front of the guild members, before shrinking down to his normal size.

"Master," Gildarts says, stepping forward, "Was that really Damian?"

"I'm afraid so, Gildarts," Makarov answers as he rubs the bridge of his nose in an attempt to save himself from his oncoming headache, "But not for much longer."

Gildarts gives a small smile at this. "You going to free him?" He asks, almost rhetorically.

"Yes," Makarov says. He then turns towards Gray. "Gray."

Gray immediately turns his attention to Fairy Tail's guild master. "Yes?" he asks as he breaks away from the shock of Makarov's battle.

"I need you to create ice around his body," Makarov says, pointing to the fire wizard on the ground.

"Oka- Wait! What?" Gray shouts, "Are you sure? With his body being unconscious, he could easily subdue to the cold!"

"I'm not sure Gray should do that, Master," Lucy adds, "Even if he did attack our guild, he doesn't deserve to die."

A great commotion followed as everyone voiced their opinions, until a shout stopped them all.

"Just let him do it, dammit!" Gajeel shouts.

"Gajeel-san is right," Wendy pitches in, "He won't die!"

Everyone stared in shock at the two dragon slayers' outbursts.

"They're right," Makarov states, nodding his head, "Just do it. You'll see."

Gray cautiously steps forward, readying himself to use his magic. He looks down at the unconscious form in front of him and closes his eyes as he slams his fist onto his palm in the position to create his magic.

A moment later the fire mage was surrounded by ice and for a second everyone stared, not sure what would happen. Then, to everyone's amazement, the fire mage's body lit up with lines of red symbols that curled all around his body. Afterwards, the symbols seemed to float off of his body and twirl around in the air a bit before disappearing.

Almost immediately after the symbols disappeared, the fire mage sat bolt upright with a look of confusion, fear, and surprise on his face. Everyone looked down at him as he looked back at them like a deer in headlights.

Finally Makarov spoke. "Hello young man," he said, "I apologize for your unfortunate situation. Can you stand?"

The fire mage seemed to either not understand or ignore his question as he only stared at him dumbly.

"Hey, didn't you hear him?" Gray shouts impatiently, "You should answer someone when they ask you a question!"

"Gray stop!" Gildarts says sternly, "You would be in shock too if you were under Damian's influence."

"He's correct Gray," Makarov says, "You see this isn't actually Damian. This young lad was merely a pawn, under Damian's mind control magic."

"Eh?!" everyone shouts.

"It's true," a small voice says. All of the guild members turns to look at the young fire mage. "Thank you for saving me," he says, gratefulness in his voice as he looks away, "I'm such an idiot for getting caught by his magic!"

"It's alright child," Makarov says, placing a small hand on the boy's shoulder, "Damian is a very strong wizard and it takes a lot to resist his magic. Now, let's go back into the guild and get you cleaned up Mr..."

"Natsu, Natsu Dragneel," the young fire mage says, slight confidence in his voice.

"Well, Natsu, come with me," Makarov says as he begins walking towards the guild, but stops when he doesn't hear Natsu following him.

Natsu grins sheepishly as he says, "Sorry. I don't think I can stand. My ankle is broken."

"Aww, I see," Makarov says, "Erza, Lucy help him to the infirmary. Wendy follow them to heal his wounds."

"Master are you sure this is a good idea?" Gray asks, eyeing Natsu suspiciously as Lucy and Erza help him up, "A minute ago he was our enemy and now we're healing him? It makes no sense!"

"Gray," Makarov says calmly, "I told you, he was under Damian's magic. He is not our enemy. That doesn't mean he gets our immediate trust, but we can at least give him the benefit of the doubt."

At that Makarov turned around and entered the guild, many others following his example and returning to what they were doing before, though much quieter. Only Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, and Happy (seems like a lot of people but it really isn't compared to the amount in the guild) were left outside. They all remained silent as an almost suffocating tension hung in the air. The silence was broken by a small, shy voice. "We should head inside," Wendy gave a soft smile, "It's pretty cold out here tonight."

"Sure," Gray says, even though he couldn't feel the slightly uncomfortable temperature. He stuck his hands in his pockets and stalked into the guild, quickly followed by Wendy, a carried Carla (by Wendy), Erza, Lucy, Happy, and a dragged Natsu.

They climbed the stairs to the infirmary room as Gray shoved the door open and walked over to the far wall and leaned against it, crossing his arms and letting an angry glare sketch across his face. Wendy hurried to the far bed, setting Carla down, and undid the covers to allow Natsu to lay down on the mattress. Lucy and Erza set him down carefully, Lucy giving Natsu a sincere smile as their eyes crossed paths.

"Natsu-san. Would you mind putting the leg with a broken ankle on top of the sheets so I can examine it?" Wendy asked. Natsu gave a curt nod and shifted around in the bed until he had done as told.

"Now this might hurt a bit," Wendy started cautiously, "But I have to feel where it's broken so I can heal it properly, alright?" She once again only received a curt nod to indicate that her patient was ready. Wendy placed her small, delicate fingers across Natsu's ankle, applying pressure to certain areas to test where it was broken. Everyone watched intently as she did so. Every couple of seconds Natsu would wince almost unnoticeably as Wendy continued testing his ankle. Finally, the bluenette stepped back slightly and said, "I believe I figured out where it's broken, so I should be able to heal your ankle now."

Wendy then outstretched her arms and held her hands over Natsu's broken ankle as a light, aquamarine glow was projected from her hands. Natsu could feel his ankle slowly healing from the injuries he received in battle, until it felt as good as new. Wendy swiftly moved her concentration to his more minor injuries, including the accidental cut he gave himself on his left arm, and soon the cuts and bruises shifted back to normal.

The young dragon slayer looked down at her work as she wiped a small trail of sweat from her brow. She sat down, slightly fatigued, in a nearby chair that had been placed by the bedside.

"You shouldn't overexert yourself Wendy!" Carla scolded as she walked over to the blue haired dragonslayer."I'll be fine Carla, don't worry," Wendy replied, giving a small smile. She then turned to the others. "We should give him some time to rest," the young dragon slayer turned around and the others were about to leave with her when she felt a soft but strong grasp on her forearm. She turned back around to find Natsu trembling slightly, his eyes shadowed from behind his salmon bangs.

"Please don't leave yet," Natsu whispered shakily, "I don't want to be alone again. The last time I was alone... _he_ came! I don't want to be left alone again! Please don't go!"

They all stared at him as if he'd gone crazy, until they heard a quiet plop sound on the sheets. Lucy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, and Happy all turned to look at the white blanket covering the pink haired mage. There, on the sheets, were multiple droplets of water. They looked up to see tears streaming down Natsu's face as he tried not to cry but couldn't stop his sobbing. He released Wendy's arm and reached up to cover his face at a failed attempt of hiding his out of control emotions.

"Showing emotions only hurts," he mumbled to himself, "Opening to others only hurts you when they betray your trust. Lord Damian said so. It only hurts, only hurts, only h-"

Natsu felt a strong albeit gentle hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly before stopping his shaking, crying, and whispered ranting all together as he looked up to the stoic face of Gray. Gray's eyes were filled with concern, understanding, and slight fear.

"What did Damian do to you?" he asked nervously though rather bluntly. Natsu stared at him for a moment before answering in a whisper, "It's his magic. Its purpose is for making others suffer under his control. He caught me around the time that I went my own way. I was such an idiot! He used his horrid magic in that terrible guild with its gruesome members to torturingly slowly hypnotize me into believing those things. You freed me from the immediate hypnosis, but it will take much longer for my mind to adapt back to normal. If it ever will. *Natsu gave a small, sincere smile* Maybe your guild is just the right place for me right now. I know I don't deserve the trust of any of the amazing people in this guild... *He looked straight up at them, eyes filled with pure determination* but I will earn it! I promise you that!" Natsu's voice had gradually risen with his natural confidence and persistence until he had almost yelled the last two sentences.

Everyone looked at him intently as they all broke out in smiles. "So this is your true personality," Erza said, getting a shocked look from Natsu, "I figured that the shy, self-conscious personality you had earlier wasn't really your true one."

"You seem better this way," Lucy exclaimed cheerfully, "With all the power you've got, you probably would have a more confident attitude."

Natsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, blushing slightly. "Heheh. Thanks... and by the way," he looked up at them pure curiosity taking over his features, "I didn't quite catch your names."

"Oh, how rude of me!" Lucy gasped out before breaking into a full blown smile and giving a small wave, "I'm Lucy Heartfilia! Nice to meet you Natsu!"

Erza nodded her head. "I am Erza Scarlet. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Wendy Marvell and this is Carla!" Wendy smiled, holding up Carla. Carla merely nodded.

They all turned to Gray expectantly. "Gray Fullbuster," he muttered under his breath.

"Aye and I'm Happy!" Happy exclaimed from his 'hidden' position on Natsu's lap. Natsu jumped slightly at the sudden high pitched voice coming from the blue cat he hadn't noticed on the bed.

"Woah! A talking cat, that's awesome!" Natsu practically yelled before turning to the others, "It's nice to meet you, Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Carla, Gray! *turns to Happy* And you too Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy says just as enthusiastically as he gave a small salute. Natsu gave him a smile.

"Um, Natsu-san," Wendy suddenly piped in. "I think you should get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow, but you really need to rest."

"Yeah you're probably right," Natsu agreed. He seemed to let his tiredness take over as he suddenly closed his eyes and started to lean forward. Gray was quick to catch his sleeping form before the fire mage face planted into the bed sheets. He pushed him back into the pillow before pulling the covers over his still form. Happy walked up the sheets towards Natsu's face, pawing at his cheek in interest before curling up next to him and falling asleep as well.

"He looks pretty peaceful," Lucy commented, looking at Natsu's calm, sleeping face. _'And sort of cute.'_

"Mmhm," Wendy hummed, "I think that once he gets used to everyone he'll let his true personality show a lot more. We just have to wait and be patient."

"You know," Erza began, gaining everyone's attention, "When he first barged in here, I thought he was completely crazy. Challenging our guild like that. But I have to wonder... if he was only one mage from this guild, how strong is it as a whole."

"Who knows," Gray shrugged, "But if they had to hypnotize him into being a member, they must have been pretty desperate to get their hands on him. I bet Fairy Tail could kick all of their asses!"

Lucy giggled. "I'm sure he'll tell us in the morning. I just hope that whatever's to come, we'll be ready."

With that, they all got back in their respective positions in the infirmary room, not wanting to leave Natsu and risk him having another panic attack. The party downstairs continued on, everyone wearing bright smiles from the small outburst they heard from the infirmary. Natsu seemed to be a very determined person, they could all hand him that. And maybe, just maybe, he could earn everyone's trust and become a part of the guild.

**So I've posted another chapter! I'm really excited about this fanfiction and I hope people enjoy it! I'm working on the next chapter now and I'll post it soon. I would truly be grateful for reviews and your opinions so please... well review. Haha. I would also appreciate follows and favorites but I won't be that pushy. And I'm sorry if Natsu is OOC but it's intentional and if you have any advice for other characters' personalities please let me know. Sorry this A/N is so long. See you at the next chapter! Sayonara~! -Star**


	4. Chapter 3- The Interrogation

**Chapter 3**

It was 8 o'clock in the morning with the dark night sky turning to a misty blue as dawn became day. Fragments of pink and orange were erased from the clouds and the sun peaked from behind the mountains. Everything was silent; the forest, the town, even the Fairy Tail guild hall, except for one room.

Master Makarov and Gildarts were in the former's office discussing the latest events of their guild. Very few people knew about Damian, so they would need to tell them eventually. That's what Makarov and Gildarts were discussing now.

"That boy, Natsu Dragneel, right? He seemed pretty strong," Gildarts starts.

"Is that how you start a conversation concerning the future of Fairy Tail, Gildarts?" Makarov questioned.

"How else do you state the fact that we need to make sure that this kid isn't on Damian's side anymore?"

"Well we can't trust him quite yet but..."

"But?"

"I don't know. I just feel... like he belongs here."

Gildarts nods slightly before smiling. "I have to agree with you there. Bet he would've fit right in."

"I'm sure. But right now we have to discuss Damian. We will speak to the boy about what he knows when he wakes up. We'll tell them what we know afterwards. Bring him downstairs with you after he wakes up and you're done checking on him, alright?"

Gildarts gives his signature grin. "What makes you think I was going to check on him?"

Makarov casts him a knowing smile. "And why should I tell you that?"

"Well, I should've known there's no use asking _you_ that," Gildarts sighs before heading towards the door, "I'll see you later."

The door creaks open quietly before Gildarts shuffles out and carelessly pushes the door back. A clicking sound confirms that the door is closed before lazy footsteps are heard fading towards the infirmary.

Makarov listens to the footsteps until they're out of hearing range and sighs. "What are you hiding, Damian? Why that boy?"

* * *

><p>All was quiet in the Fairy Tail infirmary except for even breathing and soft snoring. Lucy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were still sleeping soundly in the slumped positions they had taken the night before. They were all exhausted after the scenario with the now sleeping pink haired fire mage. The time was 12 o'clock, noon, and the guild hall was already bustling with life.<p>

A soft creaking sound came from the infirmary door as it opened just enough for the scruffy, middle aged man known as Gildarts to slip through and attempt a stealthy entrance. Let's just say, he failed to a maximum level.

Gildarts tried his best to tiptoe to Natsu's bedside but ended up tripping over the legs of a slumped Gray. He unceremoniously tripped forward, landing face first on the hard wooden floor and successfully shocking a small wave of his magic through the surrounding area. The beds, chairs, floor, and even part of the wall broke into tiny cubical pieces as his magic went haywire for a minimum of a second, and waking everyone in the room, before he reeled the crash magic in and stopped the destruction.

"What the hell, Gildarts!" Gray shouted, clearly irritated and still half asleep.

Gildarts lifted himself off of the floor only to be met with a sword to his nose. He looked up to see the brown eyes of Erza Scarlet gleaming dangerously and a murderous aura emitting off of said woman. "Is there a reason behind our rude awakening, Gildarts?" she questioned angrily.

"Heheh, well... you probably should be up by now, it is noon," Gildarts answered in an attempt of saving his hide from a fairly unwanted beating. Luckily for him, it worked. Erza slowly lowered her sword, though the dangerous gleam never left her eyes.

"I guess we should be getting up then," she responded as she sent one last glance at Gildarts before turning around and letting her sword return to where it came from.

Lucy and Wendy yawned. "Well, either way, we're awake and should probably head down to the guild hall with Natsu-san," Wendy suggested tiredly as she rubbed her eyes.

"I have to agree," Carla said in a dignified manner.

"What the hell..." a soft murmur reached their ears and they all turned to the source, Natsu. "Not used to waking up via magic. Pretty fun!" he said a small grin on his face, "But I could have dealt with not having the bed destroyed."

It was true, Natsu's infirmary bed was one of the unfortunate pieces of furniture that took a hit from Gildarts' magic and Natsu, along with Happy, were now sitting on the hard, wooden floor of the Fairy Tail infirmary.

Gildarts picked himself off of the ground and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was a bit surprised when I... uh... tripped," he finished lamely. Natsu blinked owlishly at him before giving a big (not as big as his normal smile) grin and standing up, holding a tired Happy in his arms.

"It's alright! It was actually pretty interesting!" Natsu exclaimed enthusiastically before walking over and standing in front of Gildarts. "You must be Gildarts, Fairy Tail's crash magic S-Class mage! Nice to meetcha old man!"

Gildarts returned Natsu's grin with his own saying, "Nice to meet ya too, brat! *slightly aggravated* And I'm not that old!"

Everyone else just stared at the scene in slight amusement before Lucy decided to interject into the... unique interaction. "We should probably go downstairs now, right?" she proposed from her place near the wall.

Everyone else in the room nodded, though Natsu did hesitantly, and proceeded to walk towards the infirmary door, which was luckily unharmed.

* * *

><p>It seemed as though the whole guild hall went silent as they walked down the stairs, which was probably true. Natsu could feel wary eyes following his every move and directed his attention to the steps. They reached the bottom of the stairs within a few seconds, with Gildarts leading the group to the bar as a clear path was cut through the crowd. Makarov sat on the bar top, the same perch he held the night before, sending a stern look forward before diverting his eyes in their direction.<p>

"Are you ready Natsu?" Makarov spoke seriously yet kindly to the young fire mage. All ears waited for the salmon haired boy's response. Yelling? Attacking? Escape? Maybe not...

"Of course, Master Makarov," Natsu answered swiftly, looking the 3rd master square in the eyes.

Makarov gave a small smile. "Alright then, please sit." A sole, wooden chair sat in front of Makarov, facing him.

Natsu walked forward, about to sit, when he paused. "Runes," he whispered as he backed away slightly. "What will they do?"

Makarov looked curiously at the young mage's sudden unease, possibly even fear, of the runes they had put around the chair. "They are merely a precaution, Natsu. As you know, not everyone trusts you here. If you tell us your story and information we will better understand you and your situation," he stated.

Natsu took another step backwards, glaring and saying in a slightly threatening tone, "You didn't tell me what they do. I don't enjoy losing sight of my flames. If these runes remove my ability to use my magic, I refuse to step into them."

Then Natsu's features softened slightly as he felt a slight tug on his cloak (he hadn't taken it off since he came to Magnolia) and the magical presence of Happy before turning to look at the small cat.

"Natsu?" Happy asked worriedly. "What's wrong with the runes?"

Natsu gave a sad smile to the blue neko, who was now sitting on his shoulder, and whispered, "I don't want to lose my magic, it's very important to me and... one of the only things keeping me connected to my father."

Everything went silent. No one moved, nor spoke, maybe not even breathed for a full minute. They all looked troubled by this new piece of information, some feeling guilty enough to look away or stare at the boy in slight pity.

"I see," Master Makarov spoke, breaking the silence, "Well if it will reassure you, I will have the runes rewritten." Freed immediately stepped forward and raised his sword before the runes. He began mumbling incoherent words before swishing his sword in a downwards arc and successfully changing the runes' abilities. "I have successfully switched the runes' abilities to something more suited to the situation," Freed stated as he turned to Natsu. "They will merely trap you inside, not take away your magic, though your magic cannot leave the area."

Freed quickly turned around, walking back to the Thunder Legion, yet as he passed by, Natsu gave him a grateful smile. A flash of surprise entered Freed's features before he quickly covered it and moved past him in an even quicker manner. Natsu gave a soft smile to himself as he thought of the small glint of happiness in Freed's eye (the one he could see anyway) as if he was answering with a "you're welcome".

Natsu decided the runes were now better to his liking and stepped inside, unknowingly bringing Happy along with him. "Aye sir, interrogation start!" Happy yelled, making everyone realize that he too had entered the runes. "I'll stay here with Natsu and keep him company sir!" Everyone mentally face palmed at the blue neko's idiocy but decided to let it go; the interrogation must begin!

"Natsu," Makarov began, "Please tell us what you remember of your time in Damian's guild."

Natsu gave a soft sigh before turning his gaze to the floor. "To tell you the story I must tell you how it came to be that I ended up a member of his guild," Natsu said. "It was before year 777. I was found in the forest by my father, Igneel. He told me he found me wandering the woods aimlessly and I know he thought about killing me... but he didn't." Natsu gives a soft smile. "He took me in as his son. Igneel taught me to speak, read and even use fire magic... my father, Igneel, was a fire dragon."

Everyone stared at him in shock and quickly turned to Wendy and Gajeel. They both looked slightly surprised but also like they were expecting it. "Geheheh, I knew it," Gajeel chortled, a smirk crossing his face. Wendy gave her brightest smile. "I'm so happy there's another dragon slayer!" she cheered.

"Yeah," Natsu smiled, "I'm proud to be a dragon slayer. Unfortunately..." Natsu's face grew solemn. "Igneel left as all the other dragon's did... on July 7, 777. The 7th day of the 7th month of the 777th year." There was a long, dramatic pause before Natsu continued."After that, I went on my own. I traveled through the forest until I came to a path. It was a fork path so I had to make a choice. To my left was a town called Hellebore and to my right was Magnolia. I made a mistake... and went down the left instead of the right. I wish I could have joined Fairy Tail..."

Lucy looked away as Natsu finished the first part of his story. She felt so guilty now, like she could have done something, even if that wasn't true. Gray looked at Natsu sadly, he too wished he could have done something, the same going for most everyone in the guild. He wished that Natsu could have joined their family.

Natsu felt a single tear slip down his cheek before wiping it away and deciding that he needed to continue.

"I'll give you your information on Damian and his guild now," Natsu stated as he saw everyone's faces darken, particularly Gildarts and Master Makarov's. "When I first met Damian, he was dressed in all black."

_Flashback_

_God's (Me… haha. Jk, just third person pov) POV_

_A small, pink haired child, dressed in a baggy, red shirt and golden yellow trousers walked gloomily through a large forest. He had come to the conclusion that his father wasn't coming back, but he would search for him, no matter what._

_The pink haired boy continued walking for what, to him, felt like millions of years. In reality, it was merely a few hours. The boy finally came to the first civilized object he had seen in a while: a sign. The dirt path he had been traveling on led him to a fork in the road with a sign pointing two ways. It was like it was deciding his fate. The sign showed two options; the left path was a town called Hellebore and the right path a town called Magnolia._

_If the boy smelled hard enough with his enhanced senses, he could smell the scent of more people leading down the right path. He decided quickly that it didn't matter which path he took so he let his childish manner return for a moment and did the first thing that came to mind: Eenie-Meenie-Minie-Moe._

_The salmon haired child hummed the tune of the nursery rhyme as he switched the victim of his pointing from path to path. It eventually landed on the left. He leaned his body lazily in that direction before heading down the road to the town known as Hellebore._

_It took a long half hour to reach the town. It was small and eerie, with few shops or people, but still emitted a slightly comforting aura. The boy sat down on a hill above the town for a short rest and breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally reached the town, an end to his old life but also the start of a new one in his journey to find Igneel. He was in charge of himself from now on and would live so he could find Igneel! Boy was he wrong…_

_"Hello, boy," a deep voice said from behind him._

_The boy looked up to be met face to face with a tall man. He looked to be in his 40's or 50's, still quite young looking but tinges of gray hair sprouting from the sides of his spiky, dark purple-blue hair giving away his age. He was muscular but lean with a stiff jaw and a smug look covering his slightly wrinkled face. He wore a dark, black cloak and a strange symbol that appeared to be a black knife with a chip in the side tattooed the left side of his neck. He towered over the small boy with a grand sense of defiance and leadership._

_"Tell me your name boy," the man commanded. The boy couldn't help but apply._

_"Natsu Dragneel!" the boy, Natsu, stated in a proud voice as he tried to sound just as commanding, "And who are you?!"_

_The man laughed heartily, an evil insanity tinting the edges of his cackles, before he regained his composure and stood back up to his full height. "My name, boy…" the dark cloaked man spoke menacingly, "... is Damian Mente."_

**DUN DUN DUNNNN! So I hope you like this new chapter and the little cliffhanger I left you all on! Yeah, I'm evil. I just want to say, I won't have a specific date that I'm updating on but the latest will most likely take a week. Still in school and all but besides that I'm pretty much free. So… I beg of you, Pleeeeeeeeeease Review, or maybe even favorite/follow! Haha, yeah, I'd really appreciate it. And also, a shout out to my awesome friend and editor! She's helped a lot on this story! Thank you for reading and I'll see/type (?) you next time! Sayonara~! -Star**


	5. Chapter 4- The Capture

**Chapter 4**

_"My name, boy… is Damian Mente."_

_"Damian Mente?" Natsu questioned further. He had never heard of this man before, but he must be important if he looks so strong and prideful, right?_

_"Yes, Damian Mente," the man, Damian, said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Surely you've heard of me."_

_"Nope." Natsu deadpanned. Damian sighed. "Well, boy, I've never heard of you either," Damian said. Maybe he could get on this brat's nerves as well. It seemed to work pretty well with little children._

_Natsu's face scrunched up in anger. He shot out his hand and pointed his index finger towards Damian's face as he shouted, "Well, it doesn't matter to me what you think! I was raised by the great and powerful fire dragon, Igneel! I know fire dragon slaying magic and could easily kick your butt into next week!"_

_On the outside Damian appeared unfazed but on the inside, his mind was working a mile a minute._ 'A dragon slayer huh? That's a lost magic. I knew I felt a strong aura from this brat. He could be useful.'

_"Boy," Damian began threateningly. "I am the master of the notorious dark guild, Mystic Knife. We have a goal: to defeat and crush the official guild, Fairy Tail. All of its members will be killed and our guild will reign supreme! I want you to join my guild!"_

_Natsu was both shocked and scared of this man. 'He absolutely crazy!' Natsu wasn't quite sure exactly what a guild was either, but he knew exactly what killing meant and that you shouldn't do it to other living beings, especially fellow humans (No kidding, right?)._

_"Like I'd ever join someone who thinks killing people is okay!" Natsu shouted angrily. He didn't trust this man at all._

_However, Damian only looked amused as if he had expected that answer. "Very well then, boy." Damian smirked. "If you will not join me of your own free will, I will take you by force."_

_Natsu couldn't react in time as Damian raised his palm above his face. An abnormal, black glow surrounded Damian's hand, and before Natsu knew it, he felt his eyelids droop and the ground leave his feet as he fell forward into the cloaked man's arms._

_"You're mine now, boy." Damian whispered into Natsu's ear. That was the last thing he heard before he completely fell into the dark depths of unconsciousness._

* * *

><p><em>Natsu's Point of View<em>

_It's dark here. I can't even tell if my eyes are open because it's so dark. I can feel someone's presence though. It's all hazy and I can't remember anything. All of my memories are gone. My mind is blank and it's even hard to think. What's going on?_

_"I see you're awake… boy." A voice rang through the darkness. The voice was one of a male and it sounded familiar somehow. I want to speak, but for some reason my mouth won't make any sound._ 'What's going on? Who are you?'_ I thought urgently._

_"How rude of you not to remember me when we just met earlier today," the same voice said. _'How'd he do that?!'

_"I can read your mind you know," the voice spoke exasperatedly. "You can't hide anything from me, boy."_

_OK, I was starting to get used to this. _'Then who are you?'_ I thought frustratedly. This guy is starting to get on my nerves._

_"How about you see for yourself," the male's voice replied back._

_There was a moment of silence before a blinding light took away the vision I hadn't possessed earlier. The light soon cleared and I could see again! I kind of wish I couldn't._

_Before me stood the man I met earlier! Memories flooded into my head at an astonishing rate. I couldn't breathe, couldn't feel, couldn't move. My whole life flashed before my eyes in less than a minute._

_The memories stopped and I took in a greedy gasp of air as tears streamed down my face from the pain and emotional stress. I remembered! This man, Damian, used some sort of spell on me! I began to yell at him but stopped. My voice still wouldn't work. I settled for glaring at him with the power of my intense stare. _'Die!'_ I yelled mentally._

_"Highly unlikely, boy." Damian replied as he stepped further into my line of sight. "At least not by your hands. Plus, haven't you noticed? I'm not the one trapped in a dungeon."_

_I took that chance to actually glance at my surroundings. I was indeed in some sort of cell. I could feel the heavy chains clasped around my wrists and ankles, smell the dank and rotten scent inhabiting the air, hear the constant plop of water from the ceiling, and see Damian standing in front of me in my cinder block walled prison. It felt like I was a lowly scumbag being held prisoner, and the king who had trapped me here had come to taunt me of my crimes. I couldn't be too far off._

_Damian sure looked the part of an evil king or nobleman anyways. His black cloak was gone and I could now see the rest of his body and clothing. He wore a fancy, dark gray dress shirt with a closed black vest over it that had a v-shaped collar that went down to his lower chest. A dark violet scarf was neatly tied under the collar of his dress shirt (Like a tie. Sorry, I don't know how else to put it. Maybe a bit like a sailor scarf) and into a sort of poofy fashion. He adorned dark, black dress pants and thick, black boots that almost went up to his knees. Two golden rings adorned the middle and fore fingers on his right hand._

_Damian smirked down at me with his dark purple eyes flashing dangerously._

_"You see, boy?" he spoke. "You have no where to go. You are mine!"_

_I felt my mind start to lose control of my body again. He's using another spell! I have to stay awake, I have to! My eyelids start to droop further._ 'Why me?'_ I thought desperately._

_"Because, boy." Damian spoke. "You have amazing power and potential. I shall use it for myself and then I will destroy Makarov and every last member of his wretched guild!"_

_He began to laugh hysterically, not even caring that I was still there. He's mad!_

_I continued to lose unconsciousness at a very gradual pace. I couldn't feel my feet anymore, as if they were no longer my own. _'What are you doing?!'_ I can't take it anymore, I have to know what's happening and why he's doing this!_

_"Isn't it obvious?" Damian replied. "It's a spell, boy. It shall take away what little power and resistance you have left and after that... well, you shall see."_

'Stop... Please...'_ I pleaded. But to no avail._

* * *

><p><em>I see an image. A large, dark red being. Long, scaly tail. And... wings? A great warmth emanating from him that spreads throughout my insides. It's Igneel! And is that... me? Yes, it is me! A younger me. But how? It's the first time I met Igneel. Is this... a memory? 'What's going on?'<em>

_Third Person Point of View_

_"Hello, human." Igneel spoke. His voice was so strong and seemed to shake the forest itself. "What are you doing out here alone? Dangerous beasts like me may come and eat you for a snack if you stay."_

_A toothy smirk spread across Igneel's face. If you knew him well, you could tell he was joking. The smirk itself was supposed to be a... comforting gesture. Though normally said gesture would send any grown man running away screaming for their lives in high pitched voices. It was kind of what Igneel expected from the small infant in front of him as well. But... this small, pink haired child wasn't like other people (in a good way)._

_The tiny boy was clearly frightened, his shivering body giving him away, but he did not run. Instead, he raised a chubby, shaking finger, pointing at the fire dragon before him, and yelled with all his might, "You won't eat me, you big lizard! I won't let you!"_

_Igneel's eye twitched slightly at the offending reference. "Who are you calling a lizard, you little brat!" he shouted back angrily. "I am a dragon! The great and powerful fire dragon, Igneel!"_

_The small child was also irritated by his nickname and proved it by yelling, "I am not a brat! The name's Natsu! Got it? Na-tsu!" A spark of magical power erupted from the boy and the slightly impressive addition of energy didn't go unnoticed by a certain fire dragon._

'This human's magic power is quite impressive for one so young. He has great potential. Hmm...'_ Igneel thought to himself. "So, human brat, where are your parents? Do you have a family?" Igneel inquired. This child, Natsu he believed, was beginning to pique his interest._

_"...No," Natsu answered sullenly. "I... don't know where they are. I can't remember..."_

_"So you're alone." It wasn't a question, it was a statement._

_"Yeah... I guess so," Natsu replied. He wouldn't meet the dragon's eyes. An uncomfortable feeling forming in his gut, Natsu did his best to cover his nervousness with a mask of anger. "Why do you care anyways?! I don't need anyone! So just beat it, you big lizard!"_

_Igneel stared at the boy intensely. He was obviously hiding his uncertainty, or at least as much as a 5 year old could, but that only encouraged the dragon to do something about this boy._

'Poor brat...'_ Then Igneel made a decision he knew he would regret later. "Hey brat." Igneel began softly. "Do you wanna stay with me? Be my son?"_

_Natsu stared incredulously at the large 'lizard', his eyes going wide. "Y-You serious? Lizard?" Natsu asked in a shaky stutter._

_Igneel looked away, a blush appearing on his cheeks from embarrassment (If that was even possible. But hey! "We're Fairy Tail!" quote, like, everyone from Fairy Tail). "Yeah, I guess so... Natsu..." Igneel gave a soft smile._

_Natsu's eyes glistened with tears as a huge, toothy smile spread across his joyful face. "Th-Thank you, Igneel," he whispered._

_"You're welcome... brat."_

_Natsu's Point of View_

_The image began to blur away as a smaller version of me climbed onto the back of Igneel and the two figures began to ascend. The image disappeared and I was left in a swirling darkness to think to myself._

_'Igneel. Why did you leave me?' I thought. A single tear slipped from my eye. 'I miss you so much. I don't know what to do without you. So I must search for you... but how? Where did you go... dad?'_

_My frustrated feelings that had begun to build up were now overflowing from my exhausted body. Tears streamed freely from my eyes as memories of Igneel began flashing before my eyes. More pieces of my past._

_"Natsu, this is my home. Our home."_

_"Come on brat, I'm going to teach you to hunt."_

_"This is the word meat. It has the letters m-e-a-t. Now it's your turn."_

_"The boulder isn't that hard, Natsu. Just ram into it like this with your head. Yes, like tha- oh."_

_"Get off my nose you brat!"_

_"Don't complain about your training! Now, once more!"_

_"Great job Natsu! You've finally perfected your Fire Dragon's Roar. I'm very proud of you..."_

_"Natsu, I have a present for you. It's this scarf. If you keep it with you, I will always be by your side. No matter what."_

_"Good night... brat."_

_The images were really there! Right in front of my eyes. My heart can't take this anymore. The hope is flooding out of me like the water of a burst dam._

_I'm losing feeling in my legs. I start to panic._

_All senses have left my arms. It doesn't startle me as much._

_I've lost control of my body. A nice, free feeling._

_My senses: taste, smell, touch, hearing. Gone._

_My eyes feel so heavy. Darkness takes my vision._

_My mind feels hazy. I welcome the feeling._

_Nothing is my own anymore. I belong to Lord Damian. 'I just wish that I could have found-'_

* * *

><p><em>I'm floating. It's a weird feeling. Actually, it's not really a feeling; it's just... there. This black matter surrounds me and holds me in place, but I don't have the will to resist it. It's dark. But I don't care anymore... this void is where I belong.<em>

_Flashback End_

**Yes! Finally finished! I swear to God I am so sorry for lying and not updating sooner. Though technically I didn't promise so... Just please don't hate me! *wondering whether I'm overestimating how much people want to read this story* Well, anyways, here's Chapter 4. I've decided that I will probably not have any specific times when I'm updating. And unfortunately I have no good excuses for why I haven't updated for so long, I'm just lazy and need to have my little inspiration moments to write. I have this field trip thing from Monday-Friday morning so I will try to write on the 7 hour bus ride (and hopefully not get car sick). K, well, I'll stop wasting your time with this A/N that took up like 145 words of this story now. Sayonara~! -Star**


	6. Chapter 5- The Newest Member

**Chapter 5**

Natsu finished the explanation of his memories with a mournful yet nostalgic look in his eyes.

"Damian stole everything from me..." Natsu began before he lifted his head. "But I believe that if we work together, fight against him as one, we will be able to get rid of Damian and his guild. I want us to defeat them so that no one will ever have to suffer the way I did! Never!"

"And so we shall, Natsu," Makarov said with a proud smile before his face suddenly turned grim and serious. "Now that Natsu has shared his end of the information, I shall share what I know of Damian and his guild." Small whispers broke out in the crowd as everyone's suspicions continued growing and growing before silencing quickly as the 3rd Fairy Tail master raised his old, wrinkled hand and began to speak as well.

"You see, my children." Makarov began slowly. "Gildarts and I both knew Damian a long time ago. He was once... a member of Fairy Tail."

Eyes widened and gasps of surprise filled the guildhall before everyone began to argue loudly in what seemed to be infinite dissonance. However, the ruckus continued for only a few more seconds as Makarov continued his explanation as if no one had interrupted.

"Damian came to us after a great tragedy happened in his life," Makarov spoke. "He was only 13 years old, and he had already taken his first lives. Damian's parents were uncaring and abusive towards him, and one day he was pushed too far and lost control over his magic. He killed his parents and was kicked out of his village. He came to Fairy Tail soon after that."

Makarov turned his gaze towards Natsu, only to see the pink haired teen's face molded into an impassive expression. Everyone else's reactions were quite visible- gasps of shock, horrified expressions, and even tears building in narrowed eyes. '_This child.'_

"Yes," Gildarts announced steely, though you could hear the quiver in his voice. "17 years ago, an… _incident_ caused Damian to leave Fairy Tail and swear revenge against us." Gildarts looked to the floor as small tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "Damian and I were both on the same team, both S-Class wizards, both… best friends. He taught me how to have more restraint on my magic. Damian was part of our family, but that _incident_ drew him away from us forever."

Everybody silenced once again, taking in the newest addition of information with solemn expressions. Makarov stole another quick glance at Natsu only to see the boy staring at him intensely with the force of a million unspoken words dancing in his charcoal eyes. Finally, he spoke, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over the room.

"This incident you keep speaking of," he began slowly, suspicion lacing every word. "Would it be the death of Ania Kosoku?"

There was a pause before Makarov spoke in a woeful voice, "How do you know this?"

Natsu's eyes narrowed, eyes flashing into dragon-like slits, before they softened and he explained mournfully, "Many of Damian's memories were shared with me as an effect of him taking control of my mind. Ania Kosoku was his lover and once a barmaid at Fairy Tail. There was an unknown guild attack on Fairy Tail while Damian and Gildarts were away, and Ania was the only casualty. Damian blamed you and all of Fairy Tail for her death and left the guild." Natsu paused for a second as memories flashed in his mind.

_Whispers of pity and sympathy from the town's people. Running to the debris that was once the Fairy Tail guildhall. Seeing Ania's cold, lifeless body, her beautiful, light blond hair sprawled around her like a halo. Dropping the small, black ring box held in his hand. Immense power. Destruction, explosions, death. Anger, hate, sorrow._

"He was going to propose to her when he returned," Natsu spoke softly.

Makarov and Gildarts' eyes widened slightly before falling again and drooping into downcast expressions.

"So," a voice rang through the guild hall after a few more moments of the repetitive silence. Everyone turned to Gray. "This Damian wants revenge against Fairy Tail, right?" Gray looked pointedly at Natsu and after receiving a nod, continued. "Then we just have to take him down like all the rest. I know he was a part of Fairy Tail at some point, but if he is threatening his family, his nakama, like this, then he is no longer the same person he must've been when he was a part of Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail teaches you to take care of your nakama, to protect them, and that is exactly what we'll do!" Gray thrust his fist into the air as he finished the end of his speech, gaining cheers of agreement and happy tears from the entire guild.

Makarov smiled contently at his 'brats' as he felt the pride he held in his guild swell up in his chest. "You have a good guild, Gramps." a voice spoke through the ruckus. Makarov turned to Natsu to see the lad looking at him happily with a half smile adorning his face.

Makarov noted the sudden quietness of the guild as he replied wholeheartedly, "And you are welcome to join that family, Natsu Dragneel."

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. "R-Really?"he asked unsurely.

"Of course you can, idiot!" Gray interjected in an almost annoyed manner, though the grin on his face showed his sincerity.

"Yeah, Natsu!" Happy's squeaky voice exclaimed enthusiastically from the top of his head. "Join our guild! We can eat fish together and go on missions, and we can all be a family!"

Natsu's wide eyes stared around the room, taking in the warm and welcoming smiles of Lucy, Erza, Gray, and everyone else. Tears forming in his eyes, Natsu finally let them fall as a wide, genuine grin spread across his face.

"Thank you, everyone!" Natsu spoke loudly, his smile brightening the room and showing the happiness he felt to all the world.

* * *

><p>Mirajane stepped forward, the guild mark stamp in her hands, as Freed dispelled his runes and allowed Natsu to leave the confined space. Natsu stood from the chair and stretched, his dark gray cloak ruffling as he moved. Mirajane smiled as she asked kindly, "So where would you like your guild mark, Natsu?"<p>

Natsu glanced at Mirajane blankly as the question sank in before looking away and saying in an uncomfortable voice, "Well, first, we should probably get rid of my other guild mark."

Mirajane looked at Natsu confusedly. "Other guild mark?" she asked uncertainly.

"You mean the one from Damian's guild, correct?" Makarov spoke rhetorically.

Natsu looked at him solemnly before answering, "Yes. The guild mark for Mystic's Knife."

"Mystic's Knife?" Lucy questioned in a concerned manner. "Is that the name of Damian's guild?"

She received a nod to confirm her suspicions. "So," Erza spoke, her hand holding her chin in a thinking position. "That is the name of our enemy's guild. May we see the guild mark, Natsu?"

"Sure," Natsu spoke curtly as he untied the string of his cloak. The dark, heavy fabric slunk to the floor to reveal Natsu's real clothing.

Natsu adorned a light salmon dress shirt that fit comfortably on his lean form. Black dress pants, along with matching boots, covered his entire legs. On his hip, the sword belt for Aka Yami (his katana) lay loosely against his side. Finally, a scaly, white scarf, the only piece of clothing that actually seemed to suit Natsu, was tied tightly around his waist.

Natsu looked down at the now revealed outfit in disgust. He could distinctly hear a few snickers from the male population of the guild. He sent a dark glare in their general directions, and the closer guild members could've sworn they heard him mutter, "Stupid Lord… after I defeat you, I'll make sure to kick these idiots' butts." Frightened shudders ran down each of their spines.

Getting over his momentary rant of vengeance, Natsu quickly turned the left side of his body towards the crowd of guild members. Then, in one swift motion, Natsu pulled the long sleeve of his shirt all the way up to his shoulder. There, tattooed to the top of his left bicep, was the image of a red dagger with a chip in it being encircled by a thorny vine. The dark guild mark itself was outlined in a deep, menacing black, as if it were trapping the red dagger within a darkness too deep to escape.

"This," Natsu began seriously, "is the guild mark of Mystic's Knife. As Lord Damian called it, 'A knife that can kill even a fairy.'"

An uneasy silence fell over the guildhall, but it didn't last long before Gray yelled out in determination, "I'll take that as a challenge of Fairy Tail's strength! If this guy thinks he can underestimate us and get away with it then he's wrong! We'll show him the true power of Fairy Tail!"

Cheers and war cries echoed throughout the guildhall. Natsu visibly gaped at their confident display before turning to a cheerfully smiling Mira.

"Do they really believe they can defeat him on their own?" he asked disbelievingly.

Mira smiled even brighter as she replied, "We're all a family that will protect each other no matter what. We won't let this threat or any other destroy us. Now, are you ready to become a member?"

Natsu was about to answer when an arm roughly wrapped around the back of his neck as the intruder of his personal space draped their arm over his shoulder. Natsu jolted, surprised, as Gray smirked at him good-naturedly from beside him. "What are you waiting for, flame brain, an invitation?"

Natsu elbowed him in the ribs 'gently' to get the opposing ice mage off of himself before saying in a frustrated tone, "I have to get the Mystic's Knife guild mark off first. And who are you calling flame brain, you naked freak!?"

Completely ignoring the last comment, though storing it away in his mind for later, Gray questioned curiously, "How do you even get rid of a guild mark anyway?"

Natsu smirked. "Like this, idiot," the fire dragonslayer replied challengingly. A sudden burst of magic energy ceased all movement inside the guild as all of their attention turned to Natsu.

Said fire mage was focused on concentrating a large portion of his fiery magic power to just below his left shoulder. It only took a few seconds before the dark guild mark suddenly glowed a bright orange-red as the black surrounding the dagger-like tattoo disintegrated. Soon after, the red guild mark began to catch on fire, beginning at the bottom and slowly making it's way to the top until there was only tan skin where the tattoo once was. Natsu smirked, albeit with much less energy, at a dumbstruck Gray.

"That's how you get rid of a guild mark," Natsu spoke to the ice mage before muttering under his breath, "I hope you never have to do it."

A blur of yellow flashed before his vision before Natsu saw Lucy standing in front of him. "That was amazing, Natsu!" the blonde said enthusiastically.

Natsu grinned widely at her. "Thanks, Lucy!" he exclaimed happily.

She smiled at him softly as she said, "Now you can join our guild, our family."

Natsu returned her smile before turning to Mirajane, who was still holding the guild mark stamp. "Are you ready, Natsu?" she asked sweetly. Mirajane received a determined nod as her answer. The beautiful take over mage chuckled. "Where would you like it? Do you want it on your left arm again?" she questioned.

Natsu smiled at her nostalgically. "No. I want to go down a different path this time." _Images of the sign pointing between Hellebore, on the left, and Magnolia, on the right, flashed through the dragonslayer's mind._ "I want to protect my new family and defeat our enemy using the very arm that Fairy Tail's guild mark will reside on!"

Mirajane, getting the message hidden in his words, moved over to Natsu's right arm as the dragonslayer rolled up the sleeve of the salmon colored dress shirt. The white haired mage then placed the stamp lightly on the top of Natsu's right bicep, held it there for a few seconds, then pulled it away to reveal a dark red Fairy Tail guild mark.

"Now!" Makarov shouted as he held up a glass of beer (that seemingly appeared out of nowhere), "Let's celebrate the newest addition of our family with a party!"

'_These brats need a chance to get their minds off things before another battle ensues.' _Makarov thought to himself as he smiled slightly.

Loud cheers and yells of happiness filled the guildhall as Natsu flashed a bright smile and the celebration began.

* * *

><p>Lucy giggled loudly, enjoying the grand party that the guild was throwing to welcome Natsu. They had already been celebrating for a few hours now, and it was already dark. Though the blonde could tell that the party was just starting.<p>

'_Speaking of Natsu…'_ Lucy looked around quickly, but she couldn't spot the flash of pink hair or spurts of fire magic that would have surely given the dragonslayer away.

Spotting Gray reclining in a bar chair, Lucy jogged over to ice magic user. "Hey, Gray!" Lucy spoke cheerfully, though you could hear the undertone of worry.

"Oh, hey, Lucy!" Gray half smiled as he gave a halfhearted wave in her general direction. "What's up?"

"Well…" Lucy began, "Have you seen Natsu anywhere? I can't find him."

Gray's eyes narrowed slightly and, after sweeping over the rowdy guildhall with his own dark eyes, replied, "Nope. Haven't seen the flame brain. Let me know when you find him though. The whole guild threw this party for him, yet he's not here. How ungrateful."

Lucy smiled slightly at his antics. "Well, thanks anyways! I'll go ask someone else!"

For the next half an hour Lucy continued asking everyone she saw about the whereabouts of the newest member of their guild, only to turn up with nothing. "Where is he?" Lucy muttered tiredly to herself. That's when something struck her. Looking up the stairs to the infirmary, she noticed a slight opening in the door. Smiling at her discovery, the blonde haired celestial spirit mage dashed up the steps to the door. Slowly widening the crack in the door, she peaked inside to find exactly who she was looking for. Natsu.

He was sitting on his temporary bed (a new bed, his old one was destroyed by Gildarts), the same scaly, white scarf from earlier resting in his palms. She quickly noticed his sudden change in wardrobe. (Just copying off the fairy tail wiki.) Natsu now wore a sleeveless, black waistcoat with bright gold trim along the edges and an open front to show his bare chest. He had on white trousers that ended slightly below the knees with black ribbons tied around the bottom, open toed, black sandals, and a black wristband adorning his left wrist. Natsu continued to stare sadly down at the white, scale-like muffler clenched tightly in his hands. They stayed like this for a few more minutes.

Finally, unable to take the everlasting silence any longer, Lucy walked into the room and sat tentatively next to Natsu, who only continued to look at his scarf.

"Uh, h-hi, Natsu!" Lucy spoke nervously. Natsu looked up with a start, obviously surprised by Lucy's 'sudden' appearance. Seeing it was only the blonde, Natsu's surprised eyes softened considerably as he let a happy grin spread easily across his face.

"Aw, hey, Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed. Lucy smiled back and let her shoulders relax. His smile seemed to have that effect on people.

"What are you doing up here, Natsu?" Lucy questioned. "The party is downstairs. It's just for you."

Natsu's expression faltered before he looked back down at his scarf. "Well, I was just going to change into _my_ clothing that I stored away using some requip magic." Natsu explained.

"Wait, you use requip magic like Erza!?" Lucy almost yelled in shock.

Natsu looked back at her sheepishly before replying, "Just a little. I only have enough room to store an outfit or two and Aka Yami in there. Besides, it takes me forever to summon it!"

"Oh, I see." Lucy giggled.

"Anyways, you asked what I was doing up here…" Natsu spoke quietly. "I was just looking at my scarf is all."

"Your scarf? What's so special about it anyway?" Lucy asked, genuinely curious as she walked over to Natsu and sat down on the bed next to him.

"Well," Natsu began softly. "This scarf was given to me by my father, Igneel. It was the last thing he gave me before he left. It, along with my fire dragonslayer magic, are the only things I have left of my father."

Lucy looked at Natsu sadly as she hesitantly stretched her hand out and stroked the soft, scaly scarf.

"My-my mother died of an unknown sickness when I was younger," she spoke to Natsu solemnly. She didn't know why she was telling him this. It just felt right. "Afterwards, my father was always cruel to me. Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I ran away. I planned on joining a guild, and came across Gray and Happy while they were on a mission. They saved me from this guy called Bora the Prominent, and brought me here to Fairy Tail, my new family."

Lucy smiled sadly as she continued stroking Natsu's scarf until another hand rested on top of her own.

"Lucy," Natsu spoke gently. "You are a very strong person. You've gone through so many hardships in your life, yet you still look out for the well being of others. You smile and live your life to the fullest with your friends. Not many people can be as strong as you, Lucy!"

Lucy looked up at Natsu as tears began to fall from her large, dark brown eyes. Looking up at him tearfully, Lucy suddenly shot out into Natsu's chest, continuing to cry uncontrollably.

"Idiot," she muttered softly. "I was supposed to make you feel better. Not the other way around… Thank you."

Natsu looked down at the beautiful, blonde maiden in his arms as a small, genuine smile graced his features.

"No, thank _you_, Luce."

**Hey guys! Just posted another chapter! I know and apologize for not updating sooner. Gomen. I'm really happy that I was able to make this my longest chapter yet! And just so you know, if it got a little confusing, I changed the name of the town Natsu met Damian at from Dystopia to Hellebore. I hope this didn't cause too much confusion. I also hope you enjoyed the little fluff moment with Natsu and Lucy. It's not going to be anything big, this isn't a romance story, just a cute, little unannounced shipping. So anyways, I'll do my best to post my next chapter ASAP, but I'm lazy and it might take a while. Please review! It would mean the world to me! Sayonara~! -Star**


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